Beet rack lighting system



March 20, 1956 Filed April 2, 195:5

R. C. FARN Es BEET RACK LIGHTING SYSTEM 2 heets-Sheet 1 f Fig,

BEET RACK LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed April 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

Ralph C. Farnes INVENTOR.

BY Ii/W mg United States Patent BEET RACK LIGHTING SYSTEM Ralph C. Farnes, Billings, Mont. Application April 2, 1953, Serial No. 346,311

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-7.1)

This invention relates to electrical wiring and relates more particularly to an improved means of wiring beet racks.

It is the usual practice in wiring the clearance lights of beet racks to employ a ground wire and positive or hot wire connected to the clearance light and extending therefrom to the main frame of the vehicle for connection to a source of electrical current. Since the beet box and the clearance light are movable with respect to the main frame, the wires are subjected to much bending and flexing and are, moreover, subjected to moisture both in the form of juice from the beets and from moisture.

thrown upwardly from the ground surface by the vehicle wheels. Therefore, the wires are frequently broken by the flexing action and/or shorted or grounded out by reason of the moisture.

Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to overcome the above objectionable features by incorporating a system of electrical wiring in beet racks which will obviate the effect of flexing and will reduce to a minimum the possibility of grounding or shorting out by reason of contact with moisture or water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a beet rack wiring system which incorporates a metallic ground contact tubing within which is disposed the hot wire so that the system will be self-insulating to reduce the possibility of shorting out to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to provide a beet rack wiring system which incorporates an electrical contact means carried by the beet box and electrical contact means carried by the frame of the vehicle which utilizes no other electrical connection other than mutual engagement to supply the clearance lights with a source of electrical energy.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a conventional beet rack;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a conventional beet rack employing the novel wiring system;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing the beet box resting upon the frame and the wiring system in closed circuit relation;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section similar to Figure 3 but showing the beet box in raised position and the wiring system in open circuit relation;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 3 and showing details of the spring contact means on an enlarged scale;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 6-6 of Figure 5 showing further details of the spring urged contacts; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the beet box showing the manner of mounting the clearance light.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 indicates a pair of longitudinally extending frame stringers which are conventionally formed of wood and which constitute the main supporting portion of the frame. These frame rails may be interconnected by means of reinforcing channels 12 extending therebetween, see Figures 3 and 4, and disposed transversely thereof and resting upon their upper surfaces are a plurality of fish plates 14 which cooperate in a well known manner with a depending plate 16 secured to the beet box, indicated generally by the reference character 18.

The beet box proper is provided with a floor 20 and side gates 22 hingedly secured thereto by means of hinges 24 and maintained in their upright position by means of the hooks 26. The beet box also includes the upright end walls 28.

A pivot rod 30 extends along one side of the box and frame and is carried by the plates 14 and 16 in a manner to pivotally or hingedly support the box on the frame so that the same may be tilted upwardly to empty beets disposed in the box.

The foregoing structure is conventional in nature and is well known in the agricultural art. Of course, the frame is supported by wheels, not shown, journaled on on suitable axles 32 which are sprung to the frame through conventional spring mechanism 34. Further, and with more particular reference to Figure 7, clearance lights 36 are mounted in recessed relation in the end reinforcing plate 16 at each corner of the box and each includes a bulb 38 having a positive contact 40 and a negative contact 42 which is grounded to the casing 44, as is conventional. These lights are of course provided to comply with state laws requiring the provision of clearance or running lights on vehicles operating on public thoroughfares. During the course of transporting beets in the rack assemblies from the fields to a point of distribution, such rack assemblies will frequently travel such roads at night requiring such lights.

Ordinarily, the various running or clearance lights are interconnected by insulated wire and a pair of electroleads are depended therefrom and connected to the main frame wherein they are provided with disengageable contact means for selectively applying current from the transient vehicle which pulls the beet rack assembly during operation. The electrical leads are left sufliciently long between their connections to the box and to the frame so that they will not be pulled taut when the box is pivoted with respect to the frame but, nonetheless, pivotal flexing of the wire or lead will result eventually in fatiguing the wire to such a point that it will break, necessitating repair. Moreover, the beets themselves will liberate considerable quantities of juice which will wet the insulation of the wire and have a tendency to short the same, this condition being aggravated during wet weather at which time the vehicle wheels will throw sufficient quantities of mud and water onto the wire to cause a short.

To overcome this, lengths of tubing consisting of two arcuate portions 46 interconnected by a straight portion 48 are extended between the clearance lights. As shown most clearly in Figure 7, the opposite ends of the arcuate portions are soldered, as at 50, to the clearance light casing 44, thus establishing an electrical contact between the ground contact 42 of the light and the tubing. An insulated wire 52 engages the positive contact 40 of each of the clearance lights and is disposed within and protected by the tubing to prevent any water from coming into contact therewith to establish a shorted condition.

The tubing is suitably rigidly secured to the beet box and is carried thereby. A pair of contactors 54 are carried by one of the reinforcing plates or members 16- and one of these contactors is electrically connected by a strap 56, see Figure 4, to the tubing and the other is con nected to the hot wire by a short lead 5s extending through a suitable opening in the tubing. To s'eal this opening, a rubber grommet 69 may be utilized, thus establishing a' completely closed tubing and wiring assembly.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 5, each of the contactors is of identical construction with the exception of the previously described electrical connection, and each comprises a cylinder 62 having threaded end caps 64, the lower of which is provided With an aperture through which a contacting plunger 66 extends. The plungers are normally urged to an extended position with respect to the cylinder by a spring 68, such plu'ngers extending below the members 16 as shown in Figure 4 when the beet box is disposed in an upright position.

A metallic contact plate 7! is disposed on each of the main frame members it) and is engageable by a respective contact plunger to establish electrical connection therewith when the beet box rests upon the frame structure, as shown in Figure 3. The plates are electrically insulated from one another by virtue of the wooden construction of the frame and one end connected to a ground wire while the other is connected to a hot wire which may conveniently be the conventional tail light wire, as designated in the drawings. I

As shown most clearly in Figure 6, each of the contactors is secured to the depending reinforcing member 16 by means of an arcuate clamping strap 72.

By the foregoing structure, no lead wire can be flexed and broken by pivotal movement of the box with respect to the frame and, due to the sealing effect of the copper tubing with respect to the hot wire, there is little chance that the systems can be shorted out. The spring urged plungers maintain their contact with the plate during transporting of the vehicle even though the beet box thereof may move slightly about its pivot rod with respect to the frame.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device willbe readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications, and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the'scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a beet transporting vehicle having an elongated frame and a beet box hingedly secured at one side thereof, electric clearance lights fastened to said box, rigid metallic tubing carried by said box and connected to the ground contact of said lights, an insulated wire disposed within said tubing and connected to the positive contacts of said lights, first conductive means carried by said box and electrically connected to said tubing, second conductive means carried by said box and electrically connected to said wire, a pair of spaced insulated contact plates on said frame in registry with said conductive means and respectively engageable thereby when said box is rested upon said frame, said plates being connected to a source of electrical energy whereby the lights are energized when said box rests upon said elongated frame, the contact portion of each of said conductive means being a spring loaded electrically conductive plunger normally urged to a position below said box so that said contact plates are positively electrically connected with said tubing and said wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Porter ct al. Oct. 17, 1950 

